Alex Pereira sees himself 'as still the champ,' reveals timeframe for octagon return

Former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira lost the 205-pound championship to Magomed Ankalaev via unanimous decision at UFC 313 in March. Despite not having the belt, Pereira still sees himself as the champion.  

Since arriving in the UFC in November 2021, Pereira has fought three times a year, even stepping up on short notice to save fight cards. While he's only been three months removed from his last fight, fans are clamoring for him to fight again.  

"I kind of spoiled the fans a little bit giving them fights back-to-back, which was always good for me, but now I'm just going to take a normal break letting my body rest before I can gear up again," Pereira told The Schmo.

The Brazilian doesn't plan to return until the fall, but he is in talks with the fight promotion. 

"'Right now, I took some time to recover my body, to heal. I'm going to Brazil right now, keep healing a little bit, spend some time with my family. We are in talks with the UFC. We're gearing up. Let's see something around October," he said. "I don't know where the fight is going to be but for sure it's going to be a big show."

Pereira would like a rematch with Ankalaev and doesn't feel like he lost their first encounter. He sees himself as still the champion and envisions winning the title back. 

"I see that on my mind. I see that moment in my mind. I've been prepared for that," Pereira said. "I've corrected some mistakes, some adjustments that I had to do for the previous fight. I don't know if I'm going to win. I don't know if I'm going to lose. I want to win, and I'm going to work for it."

"I'm definitely hungry. It was a fight that many thought that I won. I see myself as still the champ because they way people treat me and look at me," Pereira continued. 

"I've definitely fought tougher opponents. The situation itself on that day, the circumstances, made him a hard opponent. But I've definitely fought people way harder than him."